Stretching and ironing table for laundries.



R. D. HOWELL. STRBTGHING AND IRONING TABLE FOR LAUNDRIBS.

APPLIOATION FILED DEO.15, 1913.

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AE- m M. WH.

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ATTORNEYS THE MORRIS PETERS Co.. PHOTO-LITRO.. WASHINGTCN, D. C.

R. D. HOWELL.

STRBTGHING AND IRONING TABLE P0P. LAUNDRIBS.

APPLIOATION FILED DEO. 15, 1913.

1,104,507g Patented July 21, 1914,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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ATOBNEYS lll/ .xmems PF1-ERS CO.. Pl-loro-LITHO., WASHINGTON. D. c.

, R. D. HOWELL. 'STRETGHING AND IRONING TABLE POR LAUNDRIES.

APPLICATION FILED DEU. 15, 1913.

Patented July 21, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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ATTORNEYS WTNESSES: f @Q QF @W- rHE MORRIS PErERs Cu.. PHomVL/THOYWASHINGroM n c.

RALPH D. HOWELL, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

STRETCHING AND IRONING- TABLE FOR LAUNDRIES.

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Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Patented July 21, 1914:.

Application filed December 15, 1913. Serial No. 806,688.

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, RALPH D. HOWELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Stretching and Ironingrilables for Laundries; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, and to charactersof reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention has reference, generally, to improvements in laundrylappliances; and, the invention relates, more particularly, to a novelconstruction of ironing table having clamping and stretching devicesconnected therewith for holding` and stretching articles to be ironedupon said table.

The present invention has for its principal object to provide a combinedironing and stretching table for laundry use, by means of which largeflat pieces, such as lace-curtains, and similar articles, may 'ocproperly and uniformly stretched, and then held upon the table ready forthe application of the heated smoothing irons.

The invention has for a further object to provide in connection with anironing table clamp-means for grasping and holding the article to beironed, together with means for moving one of said clamp-means wherebythe article secured by said clamp-means may be properly and uniformlystretched.

A. further object of the said invention is to provide said ironing tablewith properly arranged gage means, which serve as guides for the properlaying out and positioning' of the articles to be stretched and ironedupon the table.

@ther objects of this invention, not at this time more particularlyenumerated, will be clearly understood from the following detaileddescription of the present invention.

X/Vith the various objects of the present invention in View, the sameconsists, primarily, in the novel combined stretching and ironing tablehereinafter set forth; and, the invention consists, furthermore, in thenovel arrangements and combinations of the several devices and parts, aswell as in the details of the construction of the saine, all

of which will be more fully described lin* detail in the followingspecification, and then finally embodied in the claims which areappended to and which form an essential part of the said specification.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure l is a side elevation of the novel combined stretching andironing` table made according to and embodying the principles of mypresent invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a largedetail cross section of the same, taken on line 3-3 in said Fig. l,looking in the direction of the arrow m. Fig. l is a detail crosssection, showing one side of the table and a clamping-device, togetherwith a holding or positioning means7 moved into operative position withrelation to the receiving surface of said ironing table. Eig.v 5 is adetail view similar to that shown in E ig. 3, but illustrating aclamping device in released position. Fig. 6 is a detail end elevationof a portion of one end of the ironing table, illustrating the means foroperatingthe movable or stretching clamp-member of the mechanism. Eig. 7is a transverse section of a portion of said ironing table illustrating`a modified means for moving and retaining the movableor stretchingclamp-member of the mechanism.

Similar characters of reference are einployed in all of the saidabove-described views to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring now to the said drawings, the reference character l indicatesthe complete combined stretching and ironing table made according to andembodying the principles of the present invention, the same comprising atable-body 2, supported upon suitable standards or legs 3, saidtable-body 2 being provided with frame-members 4:, which depend upon theunder-side of said tablebody, and which may be connected or suitablyjoined with said standards or legs 3. Mounted upon the upper surface ofsaid table-body 2 is a suitable padding-material 5, over which extends acovering 6, preferably made of a suitable fabric. Suitably secured tosaid table-body 2 and a framemember 4L, so as to be arranged adjacent toone longitudinal edge of said table-body, and preferably disposedbeneath said edge, are a plurality of bearing-brackets 7, in which isjournaled, so as to extend longitudinally, and adjacent to saidlongitudinal edge of said table-body, a shaft 8. Mounted upon said shaft8 are a plurality of eccentric-members 9, having hub-portions 10,through which extend set-screws 11, or other suitable means, for fixingsaid eccentric-l members 9 upon said shaft 8. Journaled respectivelyupon said eccentric-members 9 by their lower ends 12 are upwardlyextending carrier-arms 18. Connected with the upper ends of saidcarrier-arms 13 are forwardly projecting portions 14, which are adaptedto extend over a longitudinally disposed clamp-member 15, which issecured to the upper ends of said carrier-arms 13, by means of thelateral perforated ears 16 of said carrier-arms, through which extendany suitable form of fastening means, such as lag-screws 17, or thelike. y .Said clampmember 15 is preferably made of wood, being composedof laminated strips or layers of wood built .up together to provide aproper bulk or body to the same, which owing to such construction is notapt to be warped or otherwisedisto-rted from its necessary straightform, adapted to properly engage the upper surface of said table-body,and to maintain its longit-udinal alinement with the edge of thesaid-table-body. The under side of said clamp-member 15 is provided witha suitable padding-material 18, whichA is preferably covered with acovering 19 of some suitable fabric, or the like. Fixed upon said shaft8 is a hand-lever 20, whereby the proper oscillation or rotary movementmay be imparted to said shaft 8 and said eccentric-members 9 mountedthereon. Said table-body 2 is provided with a longitudinally extendingslot or opening 21, in which is mounted a vertically movable carrier-bar22. Fixed in said 'carrier-bar 22, so as to project upwardly therefrom,are a plurality of holding-points 23, the free ends of which 'aresharpened so as to pierce through said padding-material 5 and covering 6of said table-body, and also said covering 19 and padding-material 18 ofsaid clamp-member 15. Said carrier-bar 22 and its holding-points 23 areso disposed in said slot or opening 21, that they are positioned beneathsaid clamp-member 15 when the latter is in clamp-ing position. Journaledin said bearing-brackets 7 is another longitudinally extending shaft 24.Fixed upon said shaft 24 are eccentric-members 25, the

' latter being engaged by the receiving-portions 26 of connecting-rods27, which are pivot-ally connected by their upper ends with the saidcarrier-bar 22. Fixed upon` said shaft 24 is a hand lever 28, wherebythe proper oscillation or rotary movement isv imparted to said shaftl 24and said eccentricmember 25 mounted thereon.

Associated with said table-body 2 is a transversely movableclamp-member, adapted to extend longitudinally upon the upper surface ofsaid table-body, the same comprising a pair of clamp-members consistingof a lower clamp-member 29 and an upper clamp-member 30, the same beingpivotally connected together at their rear edges by wmeans of suitablehinge-members 31. Said -lower clamp-member 29 is provided adjacent toits forward edge with a plurality of upwardly extending gripping-points32. Said upper clamp member 30 is providedA at its forward marginal edgewith suitable .padding-material 33, over which extends a suitablecovering 34, preferably made of a i fabric. The means for movingtransversely upon said table-body said transversely movvableclamp-member thus constructedI comprises, a shaft 35 journaled insuitable bearing brackets 36, preferably secured to the.

lis a ratchet-wheel 40, and pivotally mounted on kone of said bearingbrackets 36, preferably, is a dog l41 which engages or rides fupon saidratchet-wheel 40, and prevents lany back-slipping of said transverselymovable clamp-member when the same is being moved to stretch the articleto be ironed, as will subsequently be described. Said dog 41 is providedwith a knob 42, or other suitable means, adapted to be received by aspring-detent device 43, which is secured to the under side of saidtable-body 2, and by means of which said dog may be maintained out ofengagement with said ratchet-wheel 40, when it is desired that the shaftand drums be rotated to unwind said pull straps 38, to permit thepositioning of said transversely movable clamp-member for the connectionthereof with an article preparatory to the stretching operation.

While the means above described for moving said transversely movableclamp-member during the stretching operations is prefer- '.able, I mayprovide a modified means to accomplish this end, such as is shown inFig. v7 of the drawings. Such a construction comprises pull-straps 44,or their equivalent, which are secured to said transversely movableclamp-member. Said pull-straps are provided with a plurality ofperforations 45. The pull-straps 44 are adapted to be yoperated by hand,and .when the clampmember has completed its stretching movement, saidpull-straps 44 are engaged by one of their perforations 45 upon holdingpins 46, which may be located and iiXed to any convenient part of thetable-body 2, its frame-members 4 or legs 3, as desired, and when saidpull-straps are thus retained said clamp-member will be held againstyielding to the pull of the stretched article.

The covering 6 of said table body 2 is provided with a suitablelongitudinal base line or gage mark 47 and longitudinal gage marks orlines 47 and transverse gage marks or lines 48, with which the edges ofthe article to be stretched and ironed may be alined to properly disposethe same upon the table with relation to the position and operation ofthe respective clamp-members.

Having thus described in detail the construction o-f my novel combinedstretching and ironing table, the method of employing the same duringthe o erations of stretching and ironing articles t ereon is as followsAssume that it is desired to stretch and iron a lace-curtain, or otherrectangular shaped article. The said handlever 20 is swung upwardlywhich rotates said shaft 8 and said eccentric-members 9 in such amanner, that the latter produces a lifting or vertical movement of thecarrier-arms 13, which raises the clamp-member l5 away from the surfaceof the table-body 2, whereupon the said clamp-member may be swung outwardly and downwardly. The lace curtain is then laid upon the table-body2, with one of its longitudinal edges registered with said ibase-line orgage-mark 47, and the same is smoothed out so that its remaininglongitudinal edge and lateral edges register respectively with thenearest longitudinal gage-marks or lines 47 and the transverse 40gage-marks or lines 48. When the curtain is thus positioned, theclamp-member is turned up over the table-body 2, and then the hand-leveris swung downwardly thus o-scillating the shaft 8 and eccentric members9, the latter thereby causing said clampmember l5 to move downwardlyupon the edge of said curtain, and thus firmly gripping or clamping saidedge of the curtain between said clamp-member 15 and the table-body 2.The transversely movable clamp-member is now moved up to the oppositelongitudinal edge of the curtain, and its members are opened so that theopposite longitudinal edge of the curtain may be hooked upon saidgripping-points 32, whereupon said members are closed, thus firmlygripping said opposite edge of said curtain. how by rotating said shaft35, and consequently said drums 37, the pull-straps 38 are wound uponthe latter, thus drawing said transversely movable clamp-memberrearward, and thereby exerting a stretching pull uniformly through saidcurtain. When a proper degree of stretching has thus been produced, theshaft and drums 37 are 'retained against an opposite or yielding r0-possessed of scalloped or waving edges. ln

such cases it is diliicult to get the. scallops in line, and so maintainthem during the stretching operations, therefore if provide means foralining and holding such edges. Preparatory to stretching and ironingsuch a curtain, l swing upwardly the lever 2S which oscillates the shaft24 and eccentrics v25, thereby transmitting through connecting-rods 27,an upward vertical movement `to said carrier-bar 22, which thrusts saidholding-points 23 up through the padding and covering of said table, sothat their free ends project above its surface. The

`clamp-members 15 being swung out of the way, the scalloped edge of thecurtain or the like, is laid upon the table, and the apexes of thescallops are hooked over said holding-points 23, then said clamp-member15 is closed in the usual manner, as above described, thus clamping theedge or the curtain, with the scallops all properly alined .and heldagainst slipping out of alinement yby the holding-points 23. rllhetransversely moving clamp-member is then engaged with `the opposite edgeof the curtain or the like,

and the stretching and ironing operations performed in the manneralready hereinabove described.

Of course, it will be readily understood lthat many changes may be madein the above described construction of my invention and its detailparts, and many apparently widely different embodiments of my inventioncould be made without departing from the scope thereof, lf intend,therefore, that all matter contained in the above description or shownin the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative, andnot in a limiting sense. l also desire it to be understood that thelanguage used in the following claims is intended to cover all genericand specific features of the invention herein described and allstatements of the scope of the invention, which, as a matter oflanguage, might be said to fall between.

l claim 1. In a device of the kind described, a padded table-bodyprovided with a longitudinal opening, a carrier-bar vertically movablein said opening, holding-points carried by said carrier-bar and adaptedto be projected above the surface of said tablebody, means for producingvertical movements of said carrier-bar, a pivoted c`lampmember at oneedge of said table-body, and a transversely movable clamp -membermounted upon said table-body parallel to said pivoted clamp-member.

2. ln a device of the kind described, a padded table-body provided witha longitudinal opening, a carrier-bar vertically mov able in saidopening, holding points carried by said cairiei-bar and adapted to beprojected above the surface of said table-body, means for producingvertical movements of said carrier-bar, a pivoted clamp-member at oneedge of said tablc-body, means for producing vertical movements of saidpivoted clamp-member, and a transversely movable clamp-member upon saidtable-body lying parallel to said pivoted clamp-member.

3. in a device of the kind described, a padded table-body provided witha longitudinal opening, a carrier-bar vertically movable in saidopening, holding-points carried by said carrier-bar and adapted to beprojected above the surface of said table-body, means for producingvertical movements of said carrier-bar, a pivoted clamp-member at oneedge of said table-body, means for producing vertical movements of saidpiv oted clamp-member, a transversely movable clamp-member upon saidtable-body lying parallel to said pivoted clamp-member, and means forproducing a transverse movement of said movable clamp-member.

longitudinal edge of said table-body, a shaft journaled in saidbearing-brackets, eccen-w` trios xed on said shaft, carrier-arms jour-fnaled on said eccentrics, a longitudinally exi tending clamp-meinbercarried by said carrier-arins adapted to be projected over the marginaledge of said table-body, means for oscillat":i said shaft and eccentricsto pr0= duce voi-tical movements of said carrier-l arms and saidclamp-member, and a transversely movable clamp-inember upon saidtable-body lying parallel to said 'first nientioned clamp-member.

ln a device of the kind described a'v table-body, bearing-bracketsadjacent to one, longitudinal edge of said table-body, a shaft 1journaled in said bearing-brackets, eccen-I trics fixed on said shaft,carrier-arms jour-V naled on said eccentrics, a longitudinally extendingclamp-member carried by said cariienarms adapted to be projected over *jthe marginal edge of said table-body, meansI for oscillating said shaftand eccentrics to produce vertical movements of said carrierarms andsaid clamp-member, a transversely movable clamp-member upon saidtablebody lying parallel to said first mentionedv clamp-member, andmeans for producing a transverse movement of said movable clampmember.

.6. In -a device of the kind described a table-body, bearing-'bracketsadjacent to one llongitudinal edgeof said table-body, a shaft journaledin said bearing-brackets, eccentrics fixed on said shaft, carrier-armsjournaled on said eccentrics, a longitudinally extending clampfnembercarried by said carrier-arms adapted to be projected over the marginaledge of said table-body, means for oscillating said shaft and eccentricsto produce vertical movements of said carrierarms and saidlclamp-member, a transversely movable clamp-member upon said tablebodyflying parallel to said first mentioned clamp-member, and means forproducing va transverse movement of said movable clampmember, comprisingbearing-brackets adjacent to the opposite longitudinal edge of saidtable-body, a second'shaft journaled in said bearing-brackets, drumslixed on said shaft, pull-straps coiled on said drums, the opposite endsof said pull-straps being secured to said transversely movableclamplmember, and means for rotating said second shaft.

7. In a device of the kind described a 'table-body, bearing-bracketsadjacent to one longitudinal edge of said table-body, a

shaft journaled in said bearing-brackets, eccentrics fixed on saidshaft, carrier-arms journaled on said eccentrics, a longitudinallyextending clamp-member carried by 4said carrier-arms adapted to beprojected t. n a device of the kind described a table-body,earing-brackets adjacent to one over Ithe marginal edge of saidtable-body, means for oscillating said shaft and eccentrics to producevertical movements of said `carrier-arms and said clamp-member, atransversely movable clamp-member upon :said table-body lying parallelto said irst :mentioned clamp-member, and means for yproducing atransverse movement of said Amovable clamp-member, comprisingbearing-brackets adjacent to the opposite longitudinal edge of saidtable-body, a second shaft journaled in said bearing-brackets, drumsfixed on said shaft, pull-straps coiled f on said drums, the oppositeends of said pull-straps being secured to said Ltransversely movableclamp-member, means for rotating said second shaft, a ratchet-Wheelfixed on said second shaft, and a pivoted dog cooperating ivitli saidratchet-Wheel to prevent a reverse rotation of said shaft.

8. rlhe combination with an ironing table having` a longitudinal openingtherein of a carrier-bar vertically movable Within said opening, a shaftjournaled below said carrier-bar, means operated by said shaft andconnected With said carrier-bar for producing vertical movements of thelatter, and holding-points mounted upon said carrierbar, saidholding-points being projected los above the level of said table by theupward movement of said carrier-bar and being withdrawn below the levelof said table by downward movement of said oarrier-bar, a clamp-membercooperating with said holding-points, and a second transversely movableClamp-member capable of movement toward or away from said firstmentioned Clamp-member.

9. rlhe combination with an ironing table having a longitudinal openingtherein of a carrier-bar vertically movable within said opening, a shaftjournaled below said oarrier-bar, means operated by said shaft andconnected with said carrier-bar for producing vertical movements of thelatter, and holding-points mounted upon said oarrierbar, saidholding-points being projected above the level of said table by theupward movement of said carrier-bar and being withdrawn below the levelof said table by downward movement of said carrier-bar, a clamp-membercooperating with said hold- -inO'- oints and a` second transverselmovable clamp-member capable of movement toward or away from said rstmentioned clamp-member, and means for holding said second clamp-memberin a position to which it has been moved.

In testimony, that l elaim the invention set forth above l have hereuntoset my hand this 11th day of December, 1913.

RALPH D. HOWELL.

Witnesses:

GEORGE D. RICHARDS, FREDK H. W. FRAENTZEL.

Copies of this patent may 'be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of IPatents,

Washington, D. G.

